Serena's Secret
by bendelgrl
Summary: Before the loss of his one true love, Pegasus had a daughter with his Cecelia. But after her death, he couldn't bear the pain of seeing Serena and sent her off to boarding school. After 11 years, she's back and has a terrible secret that is threatened when Seto Kaiba becomes interested in her past as a top duelist. Can she convince him to keep her secret or will fate intervene?
1. Chapter 1: Serena's Secret

Serena slid on the floor of the cold bathroom floor as the bell rang to signal the start of Domino high's first class. Silent tears ran down her face as she furiously wiped them away. After a few moments, she tugged down her sleeves, loosened her hair to hide her face and quickly applied a coat of peach lipgloss. Before entering the class, she took a deep breath and opened the door.

Everyone turned to look at the new girl who had just entered. Yugi and his friends stared at the angelic looking creature. Something seemed oddly familiar about her. He didn't know what, but he had seen her somewhere. Serena walked to the teacher's desk and handed him an office slip.

"Class this is our new student. All the way from England, this is Serena Pegasus and she'll be joining our class today." stated the instructor before pointing to the only empty seat near the back row.

Serena avoided all the glances she received as she made her way to the desk. Seto Kaiba glanced up from his seat after hearing the name. 'So she's finally returned' he thought to himself.

Few people actually knew that the infamous Maximillion Pegasus had a daughter. In fact, the only reason Seto knew of her existence was her prodigy status in the technology and dueling world. At age eleven, she had gained the status as the world's #1 duelist and was creating some of the most complicated programs in history. Kaibacorp had even bought a few of her works when Gozaburu was president. But after she had turned twelve, Serena vanished completely as she gave up dueling and programming. In fact, it was her retirement of duel monsters that allowed Kaiba to acquire two of the four blue eyes white dragons. Here she was in Domino only four years after this turn of events.

'So that's where we remember her from' thought Yugi. 'That's right Yugi, she looks just like that woman in Pegasus' castle- Cecelia' Yami added 'but, something seems off. I feel a deep sadness in her soul.' Yugi glanced back at Serena. It was true the girl seemed somewhat defeated as her red-rimmed eyes showed signs of crying.

Seto continued to stare at the new girl. He was itching for a duel and wondered if she was as good as her former reputation. As his eyes gazed down, he noticed something strange on her slim wrist.

Serena had expected the stares. Domino city was notorious for their support of duel monsters, so she wasn't surprised at the reactions when her last name was revealed. She shifted her head slightly when she noticed Kaiba's eyes had drifted toward her arm. She stared at him alarmed. She frantically stretched her sleeve to hide her wrist. 'No one can know about that, no one can ever know about this' she thought as she hid her hands under the desk and gave Seto an icy glare.

'What was that?" Seto pondered to himself 'it looked like a scar, but why were there several? And why were some spots messily bandaged? If she had hurt herself, surely Pegasus would have taken her to a medical professional." Usually, Seto wouldn't have been bothered by the trivial problems of his classmates but if he was going to get her to duel him, he wanted her at her best.

As the bell signaled for lunch, Serena sprinted out of class leaving her bookbag behind. She had barely convinced her father to allow her to come back home and there was no way she was going to give this up. Her world was threatening to fall apart all because of that one boy. He wasn't supposed to know about this. 'Serena, you have it under control' she consoled 'you only did it because you missed him and you missed home. You're back now and everything is going to be perfect once he's home from business. You're okay." Serena took a deep breath as she steadied herself on the brick wall.

Yugi and his friends searched for Serena. She had darted out of class so quickly that they didn't have a chance to introduce themselves. She looked so sad and lonely that Yugi had to make sure she had at least a few friendly faces to show her around.

Seto stayed at his seat. Lunch was simply a time for him to catch up on his work at KC. Kaiba looked over to the seat next to him and noticed Serena's bag on the ground. 'Hmmm why hasn't she returned for it?' Kaiba wondered 'Didn't girls need them for … makeup or something?' His attention focused back to the homescreen as he typed in Serena Pegasus into the database.

Serena would have gone home if she had remembered to bring her bookbag. In fact, she was tempted to leave it behind and simply walk home if she knew the way back. She sighed loudly as she slowly walked back to class. The class was fairly empty when she returned since the lunch hour hadn't ended and she relaxed until she saw the boy typing furiously into his laptop. She stiffened. She had to talk to him. She had to make sure he hadn't seen anything.

"Hi, I'm Serena" she said musically.

"I know who you are" Kaiba replied stiffly without looking up. Serena was taken aback by his tone but chose to ignore it.

"Well, that's not fair! I don't know who you are!" she pouted trying to get him to loosen up. Serena couldn't believe what she was doing. She grumbled as she saw her facade was doing nothing to affect Kaiba. 'What was she going to do?' she thought frantically.


	2. Chapter 2: The deal

'Get a hold of yourself Serena. He's a just a boy. Boys like...duel monsters! Maybe offer him a rare card in daddy's collection. A toon card! Surely, that'll keep him from saying anything." she thought to herself. Daddy would be mad, but her secret would be safe. He'd never know about Serena's dark past and that was worth everything

"So...do you like duel monsters?" she asked nervously. Seto's head shot up. She had to know who he was, but it seemed like she was oblivious to Kaiba and his dueling reputation. 'Why else would she ask such a simple question' Seto thought. Serena relaxed when she saw his reaction. She had him hooked. It was going to work.

"Well, what would you say if I could get you a toon card. Never released and a favorite of my father's" she whispered "all you have to do is forget you saw anything. I-I mean I don't want you to get the wrong idea or anything. I'm a total klutz. I … fell last week and I'm still recovering."

Seto looked into her crystal blue eyes. She was lying and he could tell. No way had she gotten those scars from falling. She walked with the poise of a model so it was highly unlikely. As for those toon cards, Seto had enough of those maniacal card tricks. I he was going to win a duel, he was going to win it his blue eyes.

"No, thanks" he said simply and turned back to his computer. Serena panicked. What kind of duelist refused one of the most powerful cards in the world? Serena bit her lip and glanced down and noticed the KC logo on the boy's computer.

"What if I made you a program? Kaibacorp used to love my programs. A-and you can take the credit. I'm sure your boss would be thrilled" she blurted. 'Now this was an interesting proposal' Seto thought. Kaiba had seen some of her work in Gozaburu's office. He was highly impressed, at the time, as a girl one year his junior could have created such sophisticated technology. Obviously, she had no idea who he was but this was turning out to be a fun game.

"Okay. It's a deal. Meet me after school and we can go to KC. You'll do everything I say and if you meet my demands, I'll keep your… "accident" between us." Her eyes widened as she took in his words.

"Thank you. You won't regret it." she exhaled relieved. 'It was going to be okay. It would be fine' she thought to herself as she took her seat next to Kaiba.

Kaiba wasn't one to break a promise. But the way the girl was so protective of her "secret" scared him. She was willing to do anything to keep this detail hidden from the world. Where had she gotten those injuries? Had someone hurt her? Was she too frightened to tell? She was an enigma that Kaiba was determined to find out.

When Yugi and the gang entered class, he noticed Serena had returned. The young girl had covered her face with her thin arms while a cascade of blonde hair hid her away from the rest of the world. 'Yami, should we talk to her?' Yugi asked. 'No, let her be. She has something on her mind that needs to be taken care of before she can truly make friends. Give it some time. Be kind and supportive, but don't push her too far...' Yugi pondered at the pharoah's words. What could he mean? What did he know?

As the bell rang, Serena was quick to follow Kaiba as her long legs matched his pace. When they made their way to the street, she noticed her car and a KC company car waiting to pick up the teens. "I guess I'll meet you at KC." she said hurrying to the sleek mercedes as Kaiba got into his limousine.

From the back of the tinted car, Serena could finally breathe. Her first day had been a disaster. The one thing she had worked so hard to keep from everyone had potentially been exposed to some random boy. She sighed loudly. "Is everything okay Miss. Serena?" her driver asked.

Serena paused before answering. "Yes Richard" she smiled brightly "Please follow the KC car to Kaibacorp."

"Ah, Mr. Kaiba's car. Yes miss." he replied. 'Mr. Kaiba?' Suddenly, it sank in.

"Richard, t-that boy I was just with. Is he Seto Kaiba?!" she asked with widened eyes.

"Uh, yes miss. Didn't you know?" Serena had known that the CEO of Kaibacorp lived in Domino city, but why did he have to be the one to see! Serena's knee started to shake in anxiety. How was she going to get out of this mess? of course, he wouldn't honor their agreement! Her father was his most important business partner! Her mind began calculating what she could do.


	3. Chapter 3: The truth

When she arrived at Kaibacorp headquarters, she saw the boy waiting for her in front of the building. Something in her snapped. She wasn't going to be the scared little girl anymore. She didn't want to be that person anymore. Her anger fumed, no way was she going to allow him to expose her to the world. She was Serena Pegasus and she was not going down without a fight. She was stronger than she had been in the past and the things she had done did not define her. She was finally home after all these years and there was no way some big-shot gaming mogul was going to take that away from her.

Kaiba looked up when he saw her car drive into headquarters. 'Finally' he thought to himself though she had only arrived 3 minutes after him. Serena marched up to him. "Why didn't you tell me you were Seto Kaiba" she seethed "and why would you accept my offer!? As a child prodigy, why even bother with me!" Kaiba rolled his eyes and allowed her rant to continue. "You have everything! And you know what, you can't control me. Whatever you know or think you know, I really don't care! " she fumed. Just as she was about to leave, Kaiba grabbed her arm. She grimaced and he immediately let go.

"Sorry" he apologized as he saw his firm grip had reopened her fresh wound. The gash was starting to flow freely again and in a way it felt good. All the stress she had tied together felt as if it were being set free. She didn't want him to know, but the pain made her feel something. When she was all alone in that boarding school, it was the only way she could connect. It was the only way she knew she wouldn't disappear. Her mother was gone and her father never came to visit. She didn't mean for it to happen. It just...

Seto allowed her to collect herself before offering to treat her arm. She nodded curtly before allowing him to lead her to his office. She wanted to leave, but there was no way she was going to explain it to the staff or worse if her father was home. Her sleeve was beginning to darken with blood and she knew she would have to accept his help.

Kaiba brought her to his office and sat her down on the couch. She stiffened at his touch. No words were exchanged as he gently peeled back her sleeve. Seto's eyes widened as he saw several scars adorned her pale skin. Some had looked as if they had been torn recently while others looked years old and were beginning to fade. Serena kept her head down as Kaiba carefully bandaged her arm and cleaned the wound.

"Why" he asked simply. She didn't answer. If she did, it would be out. She couldn't take it back. So she stayed silent. "Listen, I'm not going to hurt you or judge you. Just tell me what happened" His eyes looked so sincere that Serena began to speak.

Memory POV

She had just turned four when her mother died of disease. She didn't remember much from that time, only that is had been the best days of her life. Everyone was happy back then. He father would smile and swing her around the house as her mother scolded them to be careful. To her, he was daddy. The best man to protect her from the scary monsters and big kids. And her mother would teach her how to sing and pick flowers from the garden.

Then everything changed. Suddenly, her mother was gone. There were dark clouds and a small funeral and then he was gone as well. After Cecelia's death, she never saw her father anymore. He had locked himself in the west wing and wouldn't come out. After a few months of wandering the halls by herself, Serena found herself shipped off to boarding school. For years she tried to understand why her father had done this to her. For years, she spent her hours studying and dueling to win back her father's affection. It was all for him.

But none of that worked. She had devoted her life to pleasing him. When it failed, Serena stopped trying. She gave up being the "perfect girl." She was so tired and it was the only thing that made her feel anything anymore. When she was all alone, the familiar prick helped and comforted her through these dark times.

End of memory

"What was I supposed to do? I didn't have anyone. People either hated me or wanted to use me. I didn't know what to do." Serena hid her face as the tears began to fall. She had already revealed so many details of her pathetic life. Did she really want him to see her cry.

Seto took a moment to comprehend everything he had just heard. He had just wanted to duel her. To see just how good she actually was. Sure, her programs were good and he did wonder when she'd reveal her next project, but something in her eyes made him forget her titles and accomplishments. Under the pretty face was a shattered girl who had been cast off at an early age. She was broken and scared. Not unfixable. He thought back to his own painful childhood and empathized with her hardships. For the first time in his life, Seto felt sorry for the girl and wanted to protect her. She wasn't gone and he was going to be the one to bring her back.


	4. Chapter 4: Revelations

**Hi everyone! Thank you for the views! Please make sure to give me a review to let me know what you think! Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. In story news, I promise romance will blossom very soon for the amazing Seto Kaiba :) Enjoy.**

"I'm sorry. You must think I'm mental. I d-don't even know why I told you any of this. Just, please don't tell anyone." she pleaded as Seto took a seat directly across from her.

"Are you...are you still hurting yourself" he asked staring directly into her eyes. Serena knew she couldn't lie. Her eyes always gave it away.

"Sometimes... This morning." she responded truthfully avoiding his eyes. Seto knew he had to tell someone in order to help her, but he wasn't going to chase her away.

" I won't tell." Serena look up in relief. "On one condition. I want you to come to my house once a week. You can't do this alone, so let me help you." he said extending his hand. Serena weighed her options. 'It's either take the offer or he tells daddy. There was only one way and there was no way her father would ever find out about this. If even a whisper of it came out, he would surely pack her off again to a "sanctuary that helps with these sorts of problems." Begrudgingly, she took his hand and the offer.

Seto was relieved. Part of him believed that she would refuse his terms and run out on him. The girl had fire and he was ready to help her regain her ferocity. Shortly after her acceptance, her car came to pick her up and Kaiba began his work.

After researching for hours, Kaiba found that Dr. Johnson was the top psychiatrist in the region and the overall best choice for Serena. Seto sighed in relief. He had sacrificed an entire day of work, but something inside him told him that it was the right decision. He didn't know why or how, but he felt strangely protective of this girl. He couldn't allow her to be hurt or disappear. Maybe it was her rough childhood or the pressure to please her father that Kaiba empathized with. He didn't know why or how, but he was determined to help her by any means necessary.

When Serena finally returned home, she was exhausted. In a matter of hours, her world had been flipped upside down and she felt as if she had no control over the situation. She rummaged through her desk, searching for the one thing that could bring her peace when she heard a voice from the darkened corner of her room.

"Serena, darling child, welcome home" said a strangely familiar voice. It couldn't be. She had always imagined his voice. She used to fall asleep dreaming that her father would speak to her again, but she the reality was so much better.

"Daddy?" she cried flinging herself on the figure. It had been twelve years since she had seen him as she buried her face in his rich crimson suit.

"My, my it really has been too long my child" Pegasus smiled sadly "You really are grown up." Serena couldn't speak as she was too choked up to say a word. Pegasus stroked his daughter's long locks. She looked just like her mother. They stayed in this embrace for hours until Pegasus cleared his throat.

"My dear. While I'm overjoyed to have you back in the house, your presence requires attention." Serena was momentarily confused until she remembered how she had actually convinced her father to bring her home.

Memory POV

Shortly after her twelfth birthday, Serena had given up. Her efforts had failed and she knew that nothing she could do with bring her father back to her. With this, she relinquished her title, gave away her dueling deck and never wrote another program. She chose to spiral. She didn't want the titles or perfection, she was done.

As her grades dropped and her teachers alerted Industrial Illusions in search of her father, Serena began to close herself off from the world. It first started with a C on a test. Then, the C's became D's and F's. Teachers hardly saw Serena in class and when she did manage to show up for class, she wasn't truly there. Months of poor academics became years as Serena continued to spiral. While the teachers and headmaster did not hold her back due to her past accomplishments and skills, they recommended that Pegasus bring his daughter home as she was no longer a "suitable fit" for their school.

End of Memory

"I'm sorry. I just needed to get out of there. I needed to come home." she explained. Pegasus nodded in understanding. The child had grown up without her parents and he was guilty for her unhappiness. But, she looked so much like her mother that he couldn't bear to have her with him when Cecelia was no longer there.

"Well, I have a surprise for you" placing a light necklace around his daughter's neck. Serena touched it lightly. It had the millenium eye symbol as a pendant. She smiled for the first time that day.

"Thank you. I love it" and she truly did as it was it was a constant reminder of her father.

When Serena woke up the next day, she couldn't remember how she had ended up there. She rubbed her shoulders when she noticed her necklace. It felt heavier than it did yesterday. Serena rubbed her temples-what was going on?

Yugi was determined to meet Serena. And was waiting for the right time. When she walked in, it was as if she was a different person and everybody seemed to notice. She was lighter, at least she seemed to be happier. 'Yugi her necklace.' Yugi glanced at her neck and surely there was glint of gold that flickered by as she walked past him.

'What is it Yami? What did you see?' Yugi questioned.

'Her necklace had the symbol of a millennia item'

'Did you sense a presence?' Yugi asked alarmed.

'No, an ancient spirit isn't there. But something powerful is beginning to grow within her. I feel a deep magic in the air.' Yami replied.

She did seem different. But if the item had brought her light and knowledge as Yami had done for Yugi, he was glad that she had someone to lean onto.

Serena slid into her seat as the last bell rang. She felt fresh and controlled for what felt like the first time in her life. She smiled at the boy next to her. "Hi Kaiba" she said grinning from ear to ear.

Seto was taken aback. She seemed like an entirely different person. Lighter. But something was off about her. "Hello" he replied pleasantly.

Serena had a new strength within her after reuniting with her father. Sure everything wasn't perfect or remotely close to it, but she knew she could work through it.

At lunch, Seto requested her presence at his house after school. She sighed remembering the day's previous events and though she was reluctant, she agreed. After all, he'd see that she was perfectly fine. A few minor bumps had set her back but she was completely fine now.

Serena trailed after Seto when they entered his manor. The place was huge! Almost as large as her father's home. Not wanting to get lost, she quickened her steps to catch up to Kaiba.

Finally, they stopped in front of a large double footed room. He opened it slowly.

"Serena, I want you to meet Dr. Johnson..." He had set her up with a shrink! Serena quickly grabbed Seto's arm and led him down the staircase. Seto was surprised by her strength. Who knew that such a thin person had that much power.

"How dare you!" She fumed " I am not crazy and I certainly don't need someone analyzing everything I do! I only did it a few times okay! I'm not going to do it anymore!" She was screaming now " I'm not some poor charity case and I'm not a lost lamb whose given up on life. I was a little sad. I mean who isn't? Everybody experiences hardship and disappointment, it doesn't mean I need to see someone!"

Seto waited until she calmed. Obviously his plan wouldn't work if she wasn't willing to even look at the man. She paced angrily around the foyer wanting to leave but obligated to stay.

"I don't think you're crazy. I just think you need someone to talk to" he explained " if you don't want to talk to a professional, I understand." Serena looked up in astonishment. She had expected threats or at least a show of resistance. "Just, talk to me. Let me in, so I can help you."


	5. Chapter 5: The Past and the future

Serena was confused.'Why was he trying so hard to help her? He didn't even know her' she thought. She crumbled on the base of the stairs. She felt like she was going to explode! She took deep breaths as she tried to relax herself. She was tired. She had held on to her secret for so long, pretending like everything in her life was picture perfect. She couldn't do it anymore!

Seto quietly took a seat next to her. Serena didn't know what came over her as she buried her head in Seto's arms and began to cry. He comforted the young girl as he brought her in closer. For the first time since leaving Domino city, she felt safe as if nothing could hurt her. Seto stroked her long hair as she melted into the fabric of his soft shirt. After shedding every last tear, Kaiba cleaned her face and wiped away her tears. " Don't worry, you're going to be okay. I'm here" he said softly looking into Serena's red-rimmed eyes.

For the next three hours, the two talked. Though she was quiet at first, Serena began to open up to the young CEO. They didn't talk about her past or the actions that had brought them together but simply enjoyed each other's company. Kaiba knew not to broach on the subject. These things took time.

When the clock struck six, Serena began to gather her things. As he walked her out to the waiting car, Kaiba reached out and grasped Serena's small hands. "Serena" he said seriously " whenever you feel...those feelings or lonely promise you'll call me first." Her crystal blue eyes matched his cobalt eyes as she nodded silently.

For the first time in her life, she felt safe and she knew someone would protect her from the perpetual solitude that had taken over her life for the past 11 years. She was content and before she knew it, Serena placed a small kiss on his cheek. "Thank you" she whispered before running towards the car.

Seto touched his cheek. She was the first girl he had ever allowed to be this close to him. Except for his brother, Serena was the only one he had felt the need to protect. He chuckled at the girl's small gesture and went inside.

When she arrived at her house, Serena rushed into her bedroom and jumped onto her bed, drowning herself in the silk sheets. She blushed thinking about her spontaneous actions. Her heart raced as she bit her lip remembering his surprise as she kissed him. Her father would be home in a few hours after finishing some work at the office so she slowly drifted off into a deep slumber...

Serena found herself walking through an unfamiliar bazaar. Where was she? The town seemed to be deserted. "Hello? hello? Is anybody here?" The dusty roads seemed archaic and foreign. She searched the square for someone. As she glanced around, she noticed a shadow swiftly turning around the corner. "Hey! wait up!" she shouted as she ran towards the departing figure. She saw a glow of silver white hair as she tried to catch up to the mysterious person. "Please wait. I only want to know where I am."

The shadow stopped and turned quickly surprising Serena. " Keeper of Serenity. You are in ancient Egypt as I have called upon you to help us in our time of need." Egypt? What was she doing in -did she just say ancient?

"How...what do you mean you called upon me?" The white haired girl pointed to the Serena's necklace.

"You are the keeper of Serenity, Serena. That necklace holds great power. It heard our pleas and has sent you to help us. My name is Kisara."

"I don't think I understand you. The necklace was a gift from my father, it can't hear anything. I'm sorry, but you must have me confused with someone else" she turned to leave when Kisara grabbed her arm.

"Please. I can't let them have me and if it stays here, we will all surely perish" The girl looked so frightened and Serena knew she had to stay. She was uncertain, how could she help this girl.

"O-okay. What can I do?" she stammered.

"Our kingdom is in trouble and while our rulers hold the spirits of the Egyptian gods which will help vanquish our enemies, some of us hold the power of the strongest beasts within us. We can not allow our enemies to capture these monsters and use them against us." Serena didn't understand what Kisara was saying. Beasts within people? The girl wasn't making any sense at all. Kisara noticed Serena's look of confusion.

"Duel monsters is not just a game" she said knowingly "they were real during our time and I house the beast known as the Blue Eyes White Dragon. I beg you to take the heart and soul of this monster as it is unsafe for me to hold him during this time."

"I don't know what you mean. How can you …?"

"Please Serena, there is not enough time. I will show you, but for now you must take its soul to a safe place." Take its soul? Before Serena could react, Kisara placed both of her palms in her hands and began to chant in a foreign language.

"Hey what are you doing!?" Serena shouted alarmed. Suddenly, she saw the Blue Eyes White Dragon. The ferocity scared her and she tried to run but found she was immobile. The creature stared at her and rushed at her with great speed. Serena braced herself for the impact, but it never came. Her eyes began to shine as it took on the color of the White Dragon. What was happening?

Serena felt a soft touch as her eyes began to open. "D-daddy?" she said softly when she saw her father leaning over her.

"Hello Serena. You were out for quite some time. Is everything okay."

"uh...yeah I'm fine. Just a little tired" she replied "shall we go." Dinner was a pleasant affair as Serena and her father discussed school and new dueling cards.

"My dear, you must let me enter you in the Destiny Champions League. It'd be the perfect way to introduce you to the world." Serena smiled uncertainly. She didn't want to disappoint her father, but she had lost all interest in dueling after retirement.

"I-I don't know if that's such a good idea. I retired."

"But, darling it'll be perfect" he said swirling his wine " You can announce that you've changed your mind and take your place as the top duelist."

"Daddy, I don't think I want to" she explained.

"Nonsense, I'll even lend you my toon card series. You'll be the bell of the ball. Now darling, I've got to go."

"Where? where are you going?" she asked standing from her seat.

"Business my pet. I'll only be gone a few weeks- 20 days to be exact. Now, when I return, I expect to see you at the opening party. Go ahead and buy something pretty- I want my gem to sparkle." Pegasus left the table leaving her behind once again.

Serena didn't want him to leave. She wanted him to stay. She wanted to know her father. Serena sighed loudly. She understood he had business obligations, but she couldn't help but feel disappointed. She looked down at the invitation her father had left behind. The Destiny Champions League would start at the end of the month and she had no idea how she was going to get out of it.

The doorbell rang at seven on Saturday morning. Seto looked up from his work. Though he started everyday promptly at six, the company didn't operate on the weekends. Seto went down the stairs quietly as Mokuba was still asleep. His little brother liked his sleep on the weekends. He opened the door. "Serena" he said pleasantly surprised by her appearance.

"Hi" she breathed as she slipped through the door. Kaiba led her up the staircase. The staff would be arriving soon and he wanted to hide her away from prying eyes. Serena's eyes widened when she saw she was in his bedroom. She had never seen a boy's room before and began to blush slightly. The room was expansive with a large window overlooking the garden outside. She looked over at the desk and smiled at the stack of papers and laptop.

"My, my Mr. Kaiba. I'm shocked!" she said playfully. Seto smirked but kept up with her theme.

"Well, Miss. Serena. May I ask to what you are referring to. I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused you." She nodded towards his messy desk. "Ah, well the early bird catches the worm."

Serena plopped herself comfortably on the couch near the window and tucked her slim legs under her body. She sighed and stared out the window as a look of sorrow took over her face. Seto sensed that she wanted to talk and sat next to her. He caressed her face. "No more tears now. Think of happy times."

Serena warmed at his touch. Much had happened since the previous day and there were so many things she wanted to tell him. Kaiba took her hands lightly and quickly glanced them over. He relaxed, the wounds were beginning to heal and there were no signs of new scars.

"My father's hosting a new competition" she explained.

"The Destiny Champions League" he answered knowingly.

"You know?" she questioned.

"Yes, your father dropped this off late last night" he said holding a brightly colored invitation.

"H-he wants me to duel in the tournament…" Kaiba stiffened knowing how difficult this situation was for her. He squeezed her hand lightly to show her that he would stand behind her.

"Serena, you don't need to do anything you don't want to do. If you want to duel, you can. But, if you don't, you don't have to." Serena looked up gratefully. She was glad to have someone standing behind her. She had been alone for so long that it felt nice to have someone who understood her and supported her decisions. "So, have you eaten today? Why don't we go down and see if we can get something warm."

As they descended down the staircase, Serena noticed a small shadow running into the kitchen. "What was that" she asked aloud remembering her dream from the night before.

"Oh," Seto said thinking it was Mokuba "I'd actually like you to meet somebody." She stared at him confused. Who could he be talking about. As they entered the kitchen, she noticed a small raven haired boy happily munching on a bowl of sugary cereal while watching cartoons on the large plasma screen.

"Hi big brother" he chirped without looking up.

"Mokuba, I'd like you to meet somebody." The small boy turned his head to see Serena. "This is my...Serena."

"Hi" he said shyly. Serena gave him a warm smile and said hello. Seto marveled how well the two got along as she enchanted his little brother and played his favorite games. As Mokuba ran upstairs to get dressed, Seto handed her a cup of tea.

"He really likes you. I've never seen him share his ax warrior action figure with anyone before." Serena laughed.

"What can I say? I have mesmerizing qualities" she said musically. Seto was glad that she was happy. She seemed lighter and more free after their talks and he hoped that the dark times would never come again.

"So, if your done seducing my younger brother," Seto smirked " how would you like to join us for a trip. We were going to stay at our house near Crystal Lake since Monday's a holiday" Serena looked at him uncertainly. Going to boy's house and staying the night was a big step. Seto noticed her anxious expression. "You don't have to. I understand if you don't want to come. It's completely your choice" he said quickly.

Serena bit her lip and decided to take the plunge. She felt safe with him "I'll go. The mountain air will be good for me. After all, no one's at home. Let me call nanny and she'll send over some of my things for the trip."

"Are you sure Serena, I don't want you to feel like I'm pressuring you…"

"You're not. I want to go with you" she said leaning in. Their faces were only centimeters apart before she came closer and had her first kiss.


	6. Chapter 6: A New Adventure

**Hey everyone! Hope you're all enjoying my story. Make sure to write me a review because I love feedback. Thank you for the views and visitors. I'll update soon :)**

Seto was taken aback. He wasn't sure if she had been ready to start a relationship, but he was glad that she returned the feelings that he had begun to develop. He deepened their kiss and lightly cupped her face. Serena broke away slowly and smiled sheepishly waiting for him to respond. Seto grinned before returning her kiss.

They were interrupted by a knock at the front door. "It must be nanny with my bag" she explained before rushing to get her things. A million thoughts rushed through her brain as she recounted her actions. She touched her lips, did she just have her first kiss with Seto Kaiba? After collecting herself, she grabbed her bag and explained that she would be vacationing for a few days and that the staff didn't need to worry about her.

She glided across the foyer still exuberant from the kiss. Seto joined her soon after as the two held hands until Mokuba rushed down with his trunk. After loading the bags, Serena took her seat in the back as Mokuba followed. Seto sat in the driver's seat of his Porsche Cayenne.

"Your driving?" she asked mildly shocked.

" Well of course, one can't always be driven around." he replied smartly.

"Hey!" she pouted "I only turned sixteen two months ago! I already have my permit..." Seto gave her a mocking smile before turning out of the driveway. After sight watching from the window with Mokuba for an hour, Serena drifted off to sleep. Seto glanced back when he didn't hear anything for a while. Like Serena, Mokuba had fallen asleep and the two were snuggled together comfortably. Seto parked his car in front of the grand but welcoming lake house and quickly snapped a picture of the two.

Serena rubbed the sleep from her eyes at the sound of a click. She gently lifted Mokuba to glance outside. Before her, she saw a large two-story home overlooking a beautiful crystal lake surrounded by robust evergreen and fir trees. Seto opened the door of his car and helped her out as Mokuba began to stir himself awake.

"We're here! Big brother, why didn't you wake us!" he whined before jumping out of the car. The three took in the sight. The crisp mountain air felt fresh as she immersed herself into the environment. While Serena wandered around the house to admire its wild elegance, Seto brought in the bags and started a fire. The rain began to fall as Mokuba and Serena rushed in giggling from the excitement of the sudden downpour. They made their way into the nearby bathroom to dry themselves. When they returned, Seto was seated comfortably on the large white couch with a book in hand.

Mokuba and Serena shared a conspiring look before jumping onto the couch to surprise Seto. Seto was rarely caught off guard and smirked at their attempt to surprise him. Serena smacked him playfully on the shoulder when he simply returned to his reading after their failed attack. "Oh, you're no fun!" she pouted. The sky had darkened and the three lazed around the fireplace in a comfortable silence.

"So, you guys must be starving. What should you like to have for dinner?" Seto said pleasantly.

"You cook?" Serena asked surprised.

"One of my hidden talents" he returned.

"Oh, don't let him fool you Serena" Mokuba called from the couch "he can call delivery and makes a somewhat edible pb and j at best."

"Mokuba!" Serena giggled as Mokuba darted behind her for protection. The two shared a laugh before Serena took over.

"Well boys, I guess I'll just have to take over" she said tying her hair back.

"You cook?" he questioned.

"Well, I can make more than pb and j" she said smartly as she went to gather her ingredients. Seto admired her skill as she expertly made her way through the kitchen. He was firmly shut down when offering to help and had resorted to "watching and learning" as per Serena's request.

Soon they sat down to a beautiful meal featuring a colorful salad and fragrant pesto pasta.

"Wow, this looks amazing!" Mokuba stated as they sat down to eat. The food was heavenly and Seto wondered what other talents Serena possessed. After they had finished, Mokuba left to finish some homework and the two were alone again.

"So, may I ask where you learned how to cook?" he asked tucking a loose tendril of hair behind her ear.

"You may" she smiled a little sadly " Growing up, I never saw daddy. The only time I met him after he sent me away was when I was named the world champion of duel monsters. Even then, he only showed up to hand me my trophy and left." Seto held her hand as she continued. "So, when I would come home for holidays and he wasn't there, nanny would teach me how to bake and cook. She would always tell me to 'fatten up' and eat cookies while I was home."

"I see. Well you're an excellent chef Miss. Serena," he said softly. He wanted to divert her attention away when he noticed his chess board tucked away in the bookcase. "How would you like to play a game of chess."

"I'd love to." she said already scrambling to assemble her pieces.

"I should warn you though, I was quite the chess champion as a kid." Seto stated as he put his final piece on the board.

"Then it'll be my pleasure to defeat you" retorted teasingly. Seto grinned at her remark. There seemed to be a new fire within her since that morning and Serena could feel it to. Knowing that someone would be there to catch her when she fell was a comforting thought.

The game lasted for hours. Both players were equally matched as each made tactful decisions on where to move their pawns. When the clock struck twelve, both players had fallen asleep and the game was forgotten.

Dream…

Serena found that she'd returned to ancient Egypt. She wandered the great halls searching for the one person she had met. "Kisara? Kisara?" she called as she marveled at the detailed hieroglyphics that painted the walls. She found herself going deeper into the ancient fortress and grimaced when a scorpion passed by. Why was she here again? Would the mysterious girl finally reveal what she meant?

Suddenly, Serena heard voices and saw shadows in the firelight of the torches that hung on the walls. She quickly hid herself behind a large pillar and listened for details. "It is no longer within the girl my Pharaoh" a voice whispered.

"You're sure. Good. Kisara may have just saved the people from our enemies." a strong voice replied.

"But, surely my lord, the Egyptian gods will vanquish our foes. Why was it important for the girl release the soul of the mighty Blue Eyes? The high priest is more than capable of commanding his signature beast…" the first voice questioned.

"While priest Seto is the commander of this beast, it could still be used against us if Kisara had fallen into the wrong hands. With the soul of the dragon at their disposal, they could terrorize hundreds of innocent lives before battling us. Thus, we must send away these powerful creatures in order to save others from backfire" the latter voice explained.

Serena looked out from her position to see the speaker when she felt a pair of strong arms grab her from behind. "My, you are a pretty one" said her attacker lasciviously. Serena screamed. She saw a swift figure attack the man and yell at him in the ancient tongue. She felt like she knew him. He seemed so familiar yet something was different about the figure. Who was he? A pair of cobalt eyes stared back at her. Seto?

Serena woke up to the sound of snickering as she sleepily opened her eyes. She lifted her head from the smooth material when she noticed she had fallen asleep on Kaiba. Mokuba giggled at the sight from the hallway causing Serena's pale face to glow with a deep flush.

Kaiba stirred from the noise. Slowly, he opened his eyes to find a beaming Mokuba and pink faced Serena.

"Well, I'll just leave you two lovebirds alone." Mokuba laughed as he ran out of the room. Seto shook his head as he turned his head to face Serena. The girl had a dazed look on her face as Seto placed a hand on her back to reassure her.

"Why were you there?" she asked.

"Serena, what are you talking about ?" Seto asked concerned.

"you-you were in my dream…"

"So, you dreamed about me?" Seto asked pleasantly surprised.

"But, it wasn't you. I mean it looked like you but it wasn't and I was in ancient Egypt and I don't know... What's going on?" Serena panicked. Seto calmed her down as she began to collect herself. "I'm sorry. It was just a weird dream; nothing serious."

Serena couldn't pinpoint why she was so concerned about her dream. Dreams were just fantasies...a effect of stress or troubles. She pushed the thought out of her mind. They didn't mean anything. Seto looked at her curiously. He knew she was going to be okay, but something in that dream had shaken her.

He gave her hand a light squeeze before standing up. Serena looked up with a small smile and lightly kissed his cheek. "It's nothing. I'm just being weird" she said with a small laugh as she headed up the stairs to freshen up.

As soon as she was out of sight, he called Mokuba to meet him in his study. "Mokuba, I need you to call Yugi Muto and ask him everything about ancient Egypt." He said darkly. Mokuba looked at his brother strangely. Whenever, Yugi or one of his friends mentioned this connection to ancient Egypt, his big brother usually snickered or shut them down. What could have changed? Mokuba knew better than to press the subject on his brother and quickly followed his orders.

Kaiba couldn't believe he was actually asking Yugi to help him understand what Serena had seen. He grimaced thinking of the geek squad. Ugh, he hoped they wouldn't think they were friends or something.

After her shower, Serena relaxed on the large guest bed and stared out the window. For the past two days, the dreams brought her to ancient Egypt. She had the dream before and she was confused as to why her dreams were continuing like the chapters of a story. Why was Seto in the dream? She sighed loudly. Why wasn't her life ever simple.

She turned her attention to the ceiling when she heard a soft knock on the door. "Come in" she said lazily. Seto stepped into the room and casually plopped down on the bed. Serena was slightly startled, still uncomfortable with having a boy be so close, but soon relaxed.

"What are you thinking about?" he thought aloud. Serena turned her head towards Seto. This boy had helped in more ways than anyone else. When she couldn't control it, he had helped her feel something for the first time. She didn't answer. Instead, she gently kissed the bridge of his nose and returned to her position.

She couldn't burden him with a silly dream when there were bigger problems in the world. After a few minutes, she rolled out of bed and faced Kaiba. "You need to get up! We have a big day ahead and I'm going to get you ready for the Destinys Champion League."

Seto couldn't help laughing. She had a look of sheer determination and ferocity that it brought a smile to Kaiba's face. It seemed that the sad girl he had met on the first day had gone on vacation. Serena's face contorted into a frown. " I'm serious" she pouted "I need a distraction and if you demolish the competition then maybe daddy will forget about me dueling…"

"Mokuba" Seto shouted. A stomp of footsteps came immediately after.

"What is it big brother?" he asked.

"Get ready, we're all going to duel today" he said confidently. Mokuba stared at his brother. Dueling was usually solitary. Mokuba only tagged along to make sure Seto didn't seriously injure himself. But, he was happy for an excuse to spend time with Serena and his brother, so he rushed off with no complaints.

**So, what did you think? Make sure to let me know! Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey everyone! Thank you for continuing to read my story! Your views and reviews make my day, so please keep reading and reviewing! Hope you like this chapter **

Seto strapped on the dueling system to Serena's arm and tightened the band. "Are you sure you're ready for this? You know you don't have to do anything you don't want to do." he said firmly. Serena didn't answer him and had a glazed look on her face. "Serena?"

She looked up and started to fidget with her hands. The look on her face dissettled Seto. She looked so small and vulnerable as if she didn't know what to do. "It's okay" he soothed and started to loosen the band. Her small hand stopped him.

"No" she said nervously " I-I need to do this. For me. I can't be scared of the past anymore." Seto hesitated but nodded in understanding and readied her for the duel.

"I've never used one of these before" she thought aloud. "How does it work ? Is that a core 98 chip? I didn't know you can get these commercially?"

"You can't" he smirked as he clasped the last band "but I can." She shook her head before focusing on the cards next to her. Kaiba had given her one of his old decks since she was unwilling to go out a rebuild a new deck. She didn't want to play in the tournament and was adamant in her decision to retire professionally. "Are you ready?" he asked.

She nodded. Mokuba looked on from the sidelines. He never enjoyed dueling himself, but loved watching his brother compete. 'This was going to be interesting' he thought ' his brother was dueling one of the best. He'd never truly analyzed her strategy because of her retirement and he seemed to really like this girl.

"Let's duel" she said as a fierce gleam overtook her face. Seto was taken aback. He had never seen this side of her and sensed that she was a force to be reckoned with. "I'll start" she said smartly as she played Twin-headed thunder dragon in attack mode as well as two cards face down.

Mokuba watched from the sidelines as Serena continually damaged his brother's life points with her expert moves. Down to his last 400 points, Mokuba began to worry whether his brother would actually win the duel. He saw a smirk appear on his brother's calm features.

"You dueled well Serena, but now I activate my virus card making a majority of your cards useless!" Seto said with a sly grin. Serena looked somewhat startled, but hid her surprise well as Seto put another card on the field. "I call on the blue eyes white dragon!" Her face didn't take on the look of defeat that most of Seto's opponents had at this point in the match. Instead, she looked curiously at the creature…

Serena found herself in the ancient corridors once more when she noticed a retreating figure. She quickly followed remembering the ancient cloak from her dream. When she reached the end of the hall, she glanced in both directions. The figure was gone. She felt a pressure on her wrist, before she was met with a familiar set of eyes. "Seto?" she breathed "Who are you? and why do you look like him?" She figure didn't answer as she struggled against his firm grip.

"Shhhh" he said as he listened for noise. Serena looked around noticing nothing. "we don't have much time Serena, so I'll be brief-"

"How do yo- sorry please continue." she started after seeing his glare.

"As I was saying, my name is Priest Seto and you are now the holder of the blue eyes white dragon."

"That's what Kisara told me, but what do you mean by holder? This doesn't make any sense" she interrupted.

"Kisara held the soul of the blue eyes white dragon. Only one person is able to have full control of the beast and though many can try to yield its power, the true master of the dragon will be able to control it. While you may only see this as a card game, duel monsters was once real and you now hold the dragon inside your soul. You must protect it against the dark forces that seek its power. I'll try to tell you more, but it is no longer safe and you must return."

"Wait!" Serena screamed as she felt a hand on her face.

"Serena? Serena? Are you okay?" she heard concerned voices above her "Mokuba call the doctor to the duelist court right away"

"N-no. I'm fine. Sorry, what happened?" Serena asked as she steadied herself off the floor.

"You collapsed after seeing the blue eyes. I'm so sorry, I should have been more careful" he said gingerly helping her to a sitting position.

"No, I'm glad you played me like a real opponent. I needed that…" she said looking around "I think I'm just going to sit for a little while though." Seto nodded. She had the same distant look that she had earlier that morning. After a half hour, Seto sent Mokuba and Serena to the house so a doctor could check on her. She protested, but Seto was firm in his decision. As he saw the car leave, he quickly made a phone call to Yugi Muto.

Yugi was surprised when hearing Seto's voice. They weren't really friends and Kaiba never sought to hear Yugi's advice before. Mokuba had called him earlier to ask about the millennium puzzle, so he was ready for any of Kaiba's questions. According to Yami, he sensed that Serena was a part of his past and held something very valuable and warned Kaiba that she may have been receiving visions from the past.

Kaiba sighed in disappointment. Yugi's information was cryptic at best and did little to help the situation. But, there was little he could do to change things and grudgingly called the car to bring him home.

When he entered the front door, he was greeted by the doctor who confirmed that Serena was physically fine and that the dizzy spell may have been an effect of fatigue. He nodded curtly before the doctor took his leave. He followed the musical laughter of Serena's voice and made his way towards the entertainment center. He peeked inside to see his little brother and Serena engaged in a lively video game battle.

"I'm so going to beat you Serena! You have no chance of winning!" Mokuba laughed as his fingers expertly grazed across the controller.

"You wish Mokie, there's no way I'm giving up" she said as she watched the screen. He watched for a few minutes before quietly slipping out to do some work. After an hour, he returned to find them missing. He wandered the corridor listening for their voices when he saw a black haired blur rush past him. He grabbed his brother just in time.

"Seto!" he whined "I need to find Serena or else she'll win the game!" He chuckled and agreed to help his brother with his childish game of hide and seek. After searching a majority of the castle, they were still unable to find her. "She's good" Mokuba grumbled as he glanced into another empty room.

"Mokie, I think I might know where she might be. follow me" he said encouragingly as they made their way to the library. His instincts were right as he found Serena tucked away with a large volume of books stacked next to her. She was too absorbed in her reading to look up until Seto cleared his throat.

"Oh" she said surprised by his presence "sorry, I just...you have an amazing collection."

"Thank you" he smirked "So, have you forgotten about the game?"

"Of course not, just decided to fill my time in case you never found me!" she replied smartly. Mokuba made a face.

"We searched everywhere!" he stated "I didn't know you'd go to the one place that nobody goes to!" Serena gave him a mocking smile and followed the boys back to the main hall.

"Are you okay?" he asked seriously as they descended the staircase. She gave a small smile before nodding.

"Is that the time?" she asked suddenly staring at the large clock " I should probably go; I don't want to overstay my welcome…" The truth was she dreaded going back to that empty mansion. it was cold and lonely without anybody there.

"What! Oh c'mon Serena! Can't you please just stay a little longer? Just until your dad comes back! You don't really have to go, do you?" Mokuba pleaded.

"You can't really say no to that face can you?" Seto said softly.

"I don't want to trouble you guys. I've already had such a fun weekend and I don't want to be a burden…" she started until Seto touched her hand gently.

"You aren't. You're welcome anytime and you can stay as long as you would like." he said with true sincerity.

"Thank you" she smiled "I'll stay. After all, I still have to finish my exploration of the library."

As the long weekend came to a close, the three began to finish their homework and prepared themselves for the next day. Serena couldn't believe how relaxed she felt at the Kaiba manor. Sure, her house was equally as luxurious and large, but having someone to talk to and see everyday was something she had sorely missed.


	8. Chapter 8

As the weeks passed, the Kaiba manor took on a new aura. Serena began to make new friends with Yugi and his group which slightly annoyed Kaiba, but he was glad she was happy. The house seemed warmer and more alive as Seto would often spend at least a few hours with Serena and his brother in the evenings. Oddly, the press had been quiet since Serena's arrival to Domino City, but Kaiba suspected it was due to Pegasus' orders.

After helping Mokuba finish his homework, Serena gazed at the calendar sitting on top of Seto's desk. 'This couldn't be right!" she thought as she pushed herself up from the chair. "Seto is tomorrow the first of March?"

"Yes." he said looking up from his computer "What's wrong?"

"It's been 20 days. Daddy's coming back tomorrow from his trip for the Destinys Champion League party...I-I should probably go find a dress and …" she sighed. Seto sat beside her and gave her hand a squeeze. Tomorrow was going to be hard for her with Pegasus' return, the party and her announcement that she would not be dueling.

"Hey it'll be okay" he soothed.

"I really should go home tonight though. Need to prepare." Serena said while rubbing her temples. Seto nodded and grabbed his jacket to take her home. Serena gazed out the window into the darkening sky as she passed by the familiar homes. Interestingly, the two business moguls lived relatively close together as their homes were only separated by a few blocks. Seto turned into the driveway and quickly opened the door for Serena. He had her bag in hand and walked her to the door. The staff was still inside with last minute details for her father's arrival, but she still felt alone. "W-would you mind coming in for little bit? I don't know if I can…" Seto nodded and simply followed her inside.

Nobody noticed the two teens as they ascended the grand staircase as they were too focused on their chores. Even nanny hadn't noticed Serena since she spent most of her time in the kitchen. They didn't talk as simply enjoyed a movie in Serena's room. When he noticed she had fallen asleep, Seto gently put her under the covers and quietly left the room.

When Serena awoke, she was slightly confused. She had gotten so used to waking up in Seto's house that she hadn't even recognized her own room. She reached for her phone and noticed a note by her bedside table. Written on her father's signature parchment, the note read :

Dearest Serena,

I didn't want to wake you, so I'm leaving this note.I have a bit of work before the ball, so I won't be able to see you until then. The party will start at 6 and please enjoy the bracelet.I'll be waiting to escort you down the stairs. See you tonight.

Love your father,

Maximillion Pegasus

Serena looked over to find a royal blue box and opened it. Inside was a delicate diamond tennis bracelet that gracefully clasped around her delicate wrist. Though it was light, the piece seemed heavy to Serena. She had hoped she could speak to him about the dueling situation before the party, but he was gone. Serena jumped back into her covers and decided to skip class.

At twelve, Serena was awoken by a small shake. She opened her eyes groggily to see a warm and comforting face. "Miss Serena! Lazing around will not be tolerated. We have a big day ahead of us."

"Nanny!" she grumbled from under her covers.

"Up! up! I understand you not going to school. After all, this is your debut into society, but we must be prepped and ready for the party" the kind woman looked at Serena sternly before giving her a warm smile "a package was left for you earlier today"

'A package? I didn't order anything' she thought to herself as she walked towards the enormous cream colored box. The package had a large brown satin bow and a small parchment card.

Serena,

Sorry for taking off without a goodbye, but I thought it best to leave you to rest. I'll be at Kaibacorp until the party to take care of some work meetings. Don't worry about your father, I'll stand by any decision you make. I can't wait to see you tonight.

Save me a dance,

Seto

She smiled at the words and opened the box curiously. Inside layed the most beautiful dress and a pair of satin gloves. The color matched her dark sea blue eyes and the bodice was adorned with intricate crystal beading. It had sheer short lace sleeves that fit her perfectly.

As she began to dial his number, nanny rushed in. "Miss Serena! We don't have much time!" she glanced over to the dress and gave her a sly wink "What a gorgeous dress, someone very special must have bought that for you. You'll truly be the belle of the ball." Serena blushed before nanny rushed her into the bath.

After hours of scrubs, manicures and treatments, nanny finally let her rest before the party. Serena's hair was put up into an elegant updo as loose tendrils cascaded to frame her face while her makeup was light and natural though the makeup artist did apply a light lipstick with darker eye makeup. It was almost six when nanny returned to help her with her dress. Serena put her gloves on after clasping the new bracelet to her wrist and took a deep breath. 'You'll be okay Serena. Just look for Seto and daddy and you'll be fine' she told herself as nanny readied her near the top of the stairs.

Seto had arrived a few minutes earlier. Kaibacorp work had taken all day and he was ready to take a break and see Serena. Mokuba wasn't interested in coming to an adult business party and chose to stay at home with a few friends. 'Lucky kid' he thought to himself as sycophantic business men with their wives made a beeline towards him. Seto plastered a fake smile until he heard Pegasus speak.

"As president of Industrial Illusions, it is my great pleasure to welcome my associates and the top duelists into my home. It is truly an honor. With this, I would also like to introduce you all to my daughter, Serena Pegasus." he said with a glass in the air.

When Serena descended the grand staircase, the room went quiet as everyone admired her angelic beauty and delicate nature. She was vision in blue as she took her father's free hand. The audience burst into applause causing Serena to blush lightly. The pair continued down the steps only to be met by dozens of the world's most prominent company heads and duelists.

After a half hour, Serena was finally free from the polite chatter and compliments and made her way to the great hall. Long tables were filled with decadent foods and drinks. Yugi watched in amazement as Joey polished off his eighth piece of chocolate cake. "You're definitely going to be sick later Joey" Serena laughed.

"Hi Serena" Yugi and Joey greeted happily "Great party and awesome food! By the way, you look really pretty tonight"

"Thanks" she smiled "have you guys seen Seto?"

"Moneybags? I think he was by the dance hall?" Joey grumbled before grabbing more food.

"Thank you. See you guys around and if you get bored, the entertainment room on the third floor makes the time fly" she grinned before taking off.

When she entered the great hall, she quickly scanned for Seto before she saw a rush of people come towards her. Serena stiffened at the incoming barrage when a strong had lightly whisked her away from the crowd.

"Came just in time" he said smartly.

"Seto!" she beamed taking in his appearance. He looked dashing as always in a custom suit and a midnight blue tie that subtly matched her dress. "Thank you for the dress. I love it!"

"Beauty deserves beauty. How about a dance?" Seto couldn't believe himself. He hated dances and formal parties like this. In fact, he despised them. Yet, for this one girl, he was willing to put down his guard and show her the best time of her time. He slowly led her to the floor as the crowd began to accumulate to get a better look at the mysterious beauty and the introverted CEO.

Serena was oblivious to the stares as the two began to gracefully dance across the floor. She silently thanked herself for attending her ballroom dance lessons while Seto did the same.

One couldn't help but admire the couple. They seemed so perfect and happy with each other. Their secret smiles and embraces brought memories of young love in the minds of the adults while the others simply gazed in envy. In particular, Zigfried von Schroeder was not amused. Not only had that pompous jerk taken away his chance of debuting revolutionary dueling technology, but now he had the heart of Pegasus' only daughter. He was going to make Kaiba pay. He wanted revenge. He smirked as his eyes gleamed with a new plan. 'Enjoy your few precious moments Kaiba, for soon everything you love will be mine' he thought as he walked away from the couple.

After three dances, the two teens found their way to the corner of the room as several disappointed boys walked away seeing as Serena was finished dancing. Seto smirked. Usually, he was the one with admirers-it was different to see it from a different perspective.

"Did you see the girl with Kaiba?" "I know! Can you believe it? I've never even seen him speak to anyone here for more than 3 minutes!" "And Pegasus' girl is certainly a treat! I wonder where he was hiding her away?" "Yes, Serena certainly is a beauty with such grace" "The two make a rather appropriate pair though" "Aesthetically astounding" "Do you think their a couple?" The gossip spread throughout the room as business magnates, nosey spouses and top duelists whispered about the two.

"I think they're talking about you…" she whispered.

"And what are they saying?" he asked bringing her closer.

"That you're my boyfriend" she said hesitantly "And that you seem to really like me." They had shared a few kisses and enjoyed each others company, but Serena wasn't sure what it meant for Seto and whether he wanted to take the next step.

Kaiba gently touched her face and gave her a light kiss. "I guess, for once, the rumors are true." Serena giggled as she interlaced her fingers with his.

For the first time in a long time,the two were blissfully happy. After a few hours, Serena rose to leave.

"Where are you going?" Seto pouted. Serena nodded to the kind looking woman in the doorway of the grand hall making a motion for her to hurry.

"Need to freshen up. Nanny will kill me if a curl is out of place" she joked as she left his side.

"Well, hurry up. I can't bear another dance request from the daunting duo" he said motioning to the Wilson twins who were obsessed with Seto.

"You're terrible! I'll be back in five." she said as she rushed to follow nanny's already disappearing figure. Joyous crowds enjoyed the food and chatted animatedly as Serena made her way through the East Wing that gave her easier access to her chambers. It was quieter as no one ventured near this area and Serena took a deep breath recounting the lovely evening when she felt a firm grip on her shoulder.

She spun around to a face she didn't recognize. "H-hello" she said nervously "are you lost?"

"Oh no!" the man said in a foreign accent "but my dear, I think you are…"

"Sorry?" she said as she tried to release herself from his grip.

"Seto Kaiba is a bad choice. You could have so much more. With your beauty, brains and standing, you really should choose a more suitable match." he said simply as he began to push her against the wall.

"I'm completely content with my decision, so please let me go" she snarled attempting to break free. Zigfried von Schroeder tightened his hold. There was no way Kaiba was going to get a happily ever after and he was determined to break him apart piece by piece.

**So what did you think? Let me know if you like the story! Thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: this section does have some adult themes and topics, so please be warned...**

von Schroeder easily pinned Serena against the wall. She winced in pain as his grip stung her wrists. "Please stop" she pleaded as he began to unzip her dress "I promise I won't tell if you just stop right now. Please!" She tried to break his grasp, but he was too strong.

Seto left the dance hall after a few minutes. The fan girls were beginning to line up after Serena's absence and he was tired of declining their offers. He had seen nanny bustling about the foyer and found it strange that Serena was still gone. The music and voices were loud and Seto needed a reprieve and started towards the silent corridor to rest when he heard her.

" Don't do this! Please stop! Stop it! You're hurting me!" she whimpered as Zigfried stole another kiss and made his way towards the bodice of her dress. The delicate lace that graced her slim shoulders was ripped apart as he tore at her bra.

"You really are a pretty little thing." he said as he admired her naked beauty "much too good for Kaiba." He had just started his revenge when he heard footsteps. He sighed loudly and pushed the girl aside to make his escape.

"'Til next time my sweet Serena" he gleamed maliciously. No need for bad press. After all, Kaiba's precious gem was as good as broken as he took in her disheveled appearance. He smirked as he ran out of the house. Step one had been a success.

Kaiba ran quickly down the deserted hallway following Serena's cries. He saw a dark shadow make a quick dash through the back exit and was about to follow it when he saw a crumpled figure on the ground. He knelt down to help her up, but stopped when she flinched at his movement.

She didn't look at him and instead looked down at her hands and began to fidget nervously. Seto looked at her. Her shoulders were bruising from the attacker's grip, her hair was rumpled and the taffeta and lace sleeves of the dress were torn in multiple places. Seto was fuming. He should have followed the creep. He should have killed him! 'How dare somebody do this to Serena' he thought. He gently placed his jacket over her bare shoulders. He didn't want her to feel pressured, but Seto wanted to get her to a hospital as soon as possible.

Serena was shaking. She felt so lost and scared. She had been assaulted in her own house. Her father and Seto were there and still she was powerless. She couldn't breathe. She needed to leave this place. She couldn't stay here. She made a move to get up but stumbled. Seto caught her easily. "I need to leave." she said quietly. Seto nodded and led her through the back to avoid attention and called Roland to bring his car around.

He helped her into the back seat as Roland gave him a questioning look. He felt a strong hand on his shoulder and turned to face Pegasus. "Kaiba, what happened to my daughter?" he said in a low voice "why is she...why is she like this? I need to speak with her."

Serena had a glazed look on her face as if she wasn't there. Pegasus had heard from his guards that his daughter was leaving the party and looked deeply upset which concerned him. He and Serena had been estranged for years, but he still had a soft spot for his little girl. Kaiba blocked the way before gently closing the car door. "Pegasus, you and I may not see eye to eye on many things but we both know that Serena needs me" he said with an intensity in his eyes "she was sexually assaulted tonight." Pegasus eyes went wild with rage. "I don't know who it was, but he got away. Serena doesn't feel safe here. So, with your...permission she'll be staying with me for a few days. I'm going to get her doctors and people she can talk to."

Pegasus nodded. Though he was enraged that someone would dare harm his daughter, a part of him felt responsible. 'If he had only been there for her as a child...' he wondered. He and Kaiba weren't really "friends" since the Duelist Kingdom incident, but he saw the same fire in his eyes that he had witnessed when Kaiba was fighting for his brother. Serena would be safe with a protector like that. "Tell her that I'm here for her and that I'll do anything for her…Please take care of my Serena" he said sadly before turning away.

"Pegasus" Seto started "...don't make duel against her will. She's not ready." The Industrial Illusions president nodded in understanding and made his way back in the house. Pegasus was out for blood. Someone had harmed his family and they were not going to get away with it. "Croquet, get me all the surveillance footage from tonight. No one dares harm a Pegasus." he said viciously.

Seto didn't make a move towards her. He sat directly across from her and had Roland secure the barrier to ensure her privacy. Her blue eyes were teeming with silent tears as they cascaded down her face. She buried her face in the jacket to hide herself. She didn't want him to see her like this. She had never even seen the man before. He was close to Seto's age and she couldn't understand why someone would do this to her. Who could hate her this much?

Seto felt helpless. He wanted to help Serena, but didn't want to push her over the edge. He had just begun to see the light inside her. She was becoming more comfortable in Domino and had been happier. How could someone destroy such an innocent creature. The car stopped in front of the hospital.

Serena looked at him fearfully and Seto felt a pang in his heart. He never wanted her to be scared of him. "Hey, it'll be okay Serena. I just want to make sure that you aren't hurt." She shook her head and didn't say a word. She didn't want to go in there where people would see her. Stare at her. She couldn't pretend like everything was alright when it wasn't.

Kaiba saw how scared Serena was. She couldn't handle this. At least, she couldn't be in there. Seto looked at her softly. "Serena, would it be alright if they came to my house to take a look…" he said carefully. She looked up slightly and gave her consent as Seto motioned for Roland to drive them home.

Serena was helped by a team of nurses when they arrived at Seto's home after refusing to let him touch her. He wanted to be there for her through this, but the doctor advised he take things extremely slow. After the examination, the doctor finally emerged from the room.

"Mr. Kaiba" he said slowly "the girl has been through a lot tonight. She is still intact. It seems the perpetrator was unable to finish his assault. However, she is extremely shaken and shows signs of physical aggression on her shoulders and… upper body. She hasn't spoken a word, but you might want to go inside."

Seto nodded and thanked the doctor. He knocked quietly as the team of nurses opened the door. He stepped inside the room to find it missing. One of the maids motioned to the lighted bathroom as he heard her soft voice.

"Miss, please if you continue this you'll hurt yourself!" a maid said trying to reach for Serena.

"I-I have to get rid of it." she pleaded "I d-don't want him on me. I can't! Why isn't it going away?" She shrieked as she continued to scratch at her arms. She had reopened the healing wounds and the blood started to flow.

The maid looked helpless as she tried to stop Serena. "I can take it from here" Seto said quietly. The maid nodded and Serena was too preoccupied to notice her departure. " Serena" he said calmly "Serena!" She looked up.

"I can't talk. I won't. I-I just need to get it off. I need to…" she started. Serena had taken four baths and was vigorously scrubbing all parts of where that man had touched her. The maids had been able to wrap her in a light silk gown, but she still felt dirty. Seto came closer and knelt beside the bathtub and embraced her. "I-I"

"Shhh" he soothed. Serena melted into his chest and accepted his help. After an hour, he led Serena to her bed and placed her under the covers. he turned to leave when her small hand grasped his. "Please stay" she whispered.

Serena found herself back in the ancient hall. A weight was off her shoulders as she felt safe hidden away. "Serena" a voice said. She looked up to find Kisara.

"Kisara" she greeted the figure. Kisara had a look of concern on her face as she gently placed her hand above Serena's.

"Someone hurt you. You can here to hide." she said knowingly. Serena frowned.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I thought you needed to tell me something." she said.

" The realms have been quiet. But, Priest Seto fears the more you know, the greater the danger so we have not called upon you. Tell me, why are you truly here?" she asked kindly.

Serena shook her head. She wasn't ready to discuss this and she slowly woke up.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey Everyone! Hope you're enjoying the story so far! Please, please, please review and let me know what you think! I love reviews and any feedback would be appreciated :) Hope you all had a great Christmas and Happy New Year!**

Serena's eyes were puffed from the excessive crying and she quickly splashed them with some cold water to bring down the swelling. She breathed heavily and nervously began to wash her hands, then stopped. She wasn't going to let this moment define her. She wasn't going to be a victim. She had been scared and she had been wronged, but she wasn't going to let that boy get the best of her. She was finally happy and she wasn't about to lose it. "You're Serena Pegasus and you can do anything." she smiled remembering how she had told herself this everyday until she achieved her goals.

Serena quickly dressed herself in long layers and brushed out her hair. She looked at herself in the mirror. The redness in her eyes had begun to fade and the bruises were hidden underneath her long sleeves. She gave a light smile before starting down the staircase. In a way, she felt like this was home. The Kaiba residence seemed warmer and friendlier than her father's manor or the boarding school and she couldn't think of a place she would rather be.

As she entered the kitchen, the two boys looked momentarily surprised before smiling pleasantly. "Hi Serena!" Mokuba chirped " Seto said you were ill, I hope you're better." She gave Seto a sideways glance before responding.

"Yeah, I wasn't feeling too well so your brother really helped me get better. Sorry I couldn't see you last night! Seems like I haven't seen you in days!" She answered and ruffled his hair.

"Two days Serena!" Mokuba laughed as he continued eating his breakfast.

"Would you like anything to eat miss?" a maid asked. Serena shook her head.

"I'm fine. Thank you." Seto gave her a questioning look but said nothing. He thought she should eat something after yesterday's events. With her history and background, Kaiba worried about her. Was it normal to be this calm especially after her break down last night?

Kaiba had stayed with her through the night until she fell asleep. When morning came, he gently left her side to prepare for his day. Pegasus had called earlier for an update and Kaiba had arranged a meeting with a therapist for later that week.

"So, Seto what's on the agenda today? Mokuba and I were thinking of taking a trip to the mall. You really should get some new clothes" she teased lightly before turning back to the tea he had ordered for her. She knew that Seto was confused by her change in demeanor, but it was her way of coping with everything. She didn't want to dwell on what happened to her. She didn't even want to think about her attacker or what could have happened to her if Seto hadn't found her in time. For the first time in years, she felt a spark of happiness and she wasn't willing to let it go because of one bad incident.

Kaiba cleared his throat before answering. " Sure, we can go shopping. Mokuba, why don't you finish up your homework for Monday and we'll leave in an hour." The small boy rushed up the stairs to complete his work and left the two at the breakfast table. An uncomfortable silence filled the air as Serena continued to stare into her cup.

"Serena, about last ni-" he started.

"I don't want to talk about it" she said quickly.

"But you. We-"

"Please. Can we talk about something else? The weather, school, anything. Just- I can't okay I just can't" she said sharply.

"Serena I want to help you" he answered.

"Then help me. Don't say anything! Don't mention it again!Please just pretend it didn't happen. I don't ever want to talk or think about it again."

"Serena, do you really think that you can pretend like nothing happened? We have to talk about this."

"There's nothing to talk about!" She retorted

"Last night, you were in hysterics! You didn't even know you were hurting yourself. How can you expect me to stand idly and wait until something worse happens! Serena, I care about you and I don't want you to feel as though you have to go through this alone." There was short silence.

"If I think about it. Everything comes back. Every painful memory and thought it all comes at me and I don't know how to... So if you want to help just please stop this." She whispered

Seto didn't know what he could do. Her problems were internal and he didn't know when she'd let him in to help her. The only thing he could do was wait until her appointment the next afternoon.

As the day continued, Serena seemed perfectly normal as she and Mokuba went through the mall picking out clothes and playing games at the arcade. Seto had to get back to Kaibacorp to finish up the new duel disk design and left the two to their fun.

After a few hours of work, Seto cleared his desk and logged onto the network's system. His secretary knocked on the door to alert him of a visitor. He opened the door to find Pegasus. Though he was dressed in his usual pristine crimson suit, he looked disheveled as though he hadn't slept in days.

"Ah Kaiba boy" he greeted with a feigned laugh.

"Pegasus" he returned.

"I just. I have to ask. How is she? Is she okay? Does she need anything?" He asked with a sincerity Seto had never seen. Personally, he was relieved that Pegasus had come. He couldn't understand Serena's actions so maybe Pegasus could.

"I don't know. She acts as if nothing happened. She pretends like everything is fine. I can't understand it."

Pegasus was silent for a moment before continuing "has she seen someone yet?"

"No, I've set an appointment for tomorrow. But she hasn't spoken about it to anyone."

Pegasus had a sad smile on his face. " She certainly takes after her father." Seto stared at him with a confused expression. " After Cecelia passed, I was reclusive as Serena may have mentioned. When I sent her away to school, I pretended as if life was perfectly normal, but it was a facade. I thought by clearing away everything that was connected to Cecelia I could forget what happened. It wasn't until I confronted my problems that I was finally able to live."

With that, Pegasus took his leave to see if his security team had any news of yesterday's events. After he finished the rest of his work, Kaiba made his way back to the house. The manor was dark when he entered the living room. Seto glance at the clock as it struck midnight and slowly prepared himself for bed after checking in on his sleeping brother and Serena.

Seto awoke with a slight shake to his arm. "Seto! Seto! wake up!" he heard. He opened his eyes to find Serena and Mokuba towering over him and glanced at his clock. It was 5:30 in the morning, what could they possibly want? He rubbed his eyes before speaking.

"What's going on?" he questioned.

"Well, Mokuba and I had an early night because we were tired from running about yesterday and well, we woke up early" she started.

"So, Serena and I were on the computer and I thought we might as well see what was going at Kaibacorp…" Mokuba said.

"But, when we logged on, someone was already on the server. I reinforced the firewall and programmed several defense programs, but I think you need to take a look." she said.

Seto sprang from his bed and quickly seated himself on his desk chair and logged into the system. Kaibacorp files were under the most secure system in the world. He had designed it himself. No one could breach his system. His fingers moved quickly across the keypad. His eyes widened. Serena was right, someone had managed to crack through his first line of defense. In his entire career as CEO, no one had managed to do this. Seto scanned over the codes that Serena created and was relieved. She was good-maybe even better than he was. Within an hour, she managed to stop the hacker and trap him or her in the system. The person was cornered and the only way to get out of Serena's defense system was to destroy the computer or erase the work that had been done. In addition, she managed to plant the virus in the hacker's own system to corrupt and delete their entire database.

He looked at her in disbelief. She had managed to create a system that both protected his data and ruined the hacker's internal system. "I'm sorry Seto. I should have asked before going into your system…" she apologized.

"Serena, you might have just saved Kaibacorp. Thank you." he said sincerely. Serena gave a small smile before sitting next to him and taking over the keyboard.

"I installed 17 firewalls into the system. I don't know if you want to add anything else but I think the cyberattack may have started around four this morning which only gave the attacker a half hour. I don't think the person even made it past the second wall, so your files should be secure…"

Seto didn't know what to say. Without her help, Kaibacorp may have been breached in the middle of the night. "Kaibacorp is my life's work and it means so much to me. Thank you for saving it."

"You don't have to thank me Seto. You've done so much for me in this past month. Both you and Mokuba are like family. You've helped me in so many ways and I'm glad I could finally help you." It was true. He had helped her through so much in these past two months and she was so thankful to have the Kaiba brothers by her side. Seto was her protector and Mokuba was a reminder that happiness could exist. Honestly, she didn't know what she would have done if Kaiba hadn't caught her that morning at school.

In some ways, Seto was able to fill the void that was left from her childhood. He made her feel emotions. Even yesterday, he had been so good to her. No one had been able to stop her when she was too wrapped up with the dark thoughts in her head until he came along.

At seven, the three began to get ready for school, donned their respective uniforms and grabbed a quick breakfast before heading off. As soon as the two stepped into the school, whispers began to fill the halls from both the girls and boys. Many had noticed that the two teens spent a considerable amount of time together, but no one had actual proof that they were a couple until that weekend.

"Why are they whispering" Serena asked quietly as they went towards their lockers.

"Gossip. Ignore it." he said simply as he handed Serena her notebooks.

"Serena! Hey Serena!" Serena looked up to see Yugi and her friends walking over to her. Seto sighed but didn't say anything.

"Hi guys!" she said with a smile "how was your weekend?"

"It was great" Yugi answered before being interrupted by Joey.

"Yeah, thanks for telling us about the game room. We missed ya though. Where'd ya go Serena?"

Serena stiffened before a strong voice answered for her. "Not that it's any of your business Wheeler, but Serena wasn't feeling well and needed some fresh air" Seto replied. Luckily, the bell rang before the two could continue their squabble.

Serena squeezed Seto's hand lightly to show her thanks as they entered homeroom. They passed through the class as usual despite the stares that the two received. Serena seemed oblivious to the whispers after an hour as the gang talked endlessly about the upcoming duel monsters tournament.

She squirmed uncomfortably in her seat until Seto motioned for her to follow him.

"What is it?" she questioned.

"You don't have to worry about dueling in the tournament."

"What do you mean? Daddy was very firm in his decision. Seto, I think I have to…"

"I talked to him and after" he paused before rephrasing "everything that's happened, he decided it's best to let you choose whether you want to duel in the tournament."

She turned quiet and absorbed the information before fully understanding what he was telling her. "You talked to my father" she spoke to herself. Seto looked at her uncertainly until she kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Thank you" she said sincerely. A weight was lifted from her shoulders as the pressure to please her father was alleviated.

She could finally breathe and be there for Seto. While she enjoyed dueling, she wasn't as passionate about the game as he was. The years she spent training for duel monsters were devoted to getting her father's attention above all else. She was relieved. For weeks, she worried about how to rebuild her deck and how she could duel against her friends and Seto. She loved him more than anything but was confused. She didn't know how to act or what to do around him. Whenever she saw him, butterflies filled her stomach. He knew how to talk to her and exactly what to say. He was her protector since her move to Domino and though it had only been a few months, she felt as if she had known him her entire life.

Kaiba was slightly nervous as he readied himself to tell her the next bit of information. He remembered her reaction when he had hired a therapist for her disorder a few months back. Seto hoped she'd be willing to see the doctor. He worried about her. Serena had been through so much in her life that she needed to someone who could understand her pain and create a plan for her recovery.

He broke away from her embrace and gently held both of her hands in his. 'Serena' he said seriously looking into her eyes 'I know you don't want to talk about what happened or your past but I'm worried about you. I feel like you need to talk to someone about everything. I know that you're beginning to get comfortable with me and I love that but you need discuss what happened in order to heal.'

Serena trusted him completely but was still apprehensive of his suggestion as she worried who could find out about her secrets if they ever got out. Her bottom lip quivered involuntarily but nodded her consent.

Later that day, after Kaiba had finished work, he and Serena made their way to the therapist's office. Though Serena was usually shy, Seto noticed how uncharacteristically silent she was being throughout their entire trip.

Serena didn't really listen during her session and instead chose to twirl her foot on the carpet for the first half hour until Kaiba was brought in to answer some of questions about recent events and her past. He spoke in soft whispers in order to hide their conversation but she heard every word.

After an hour, her session was over and she was instructed to return for weekly half hour appointments to see how she was doing. Both the doctor and Seto praised her for doing so well. Serena couldn't help but scoff internally at their words. She wasn't brave or courageous. In truth, she was only doing this to appease her father and Seto. As a perfectionist, she would have rated her participation as a complete failure seeing as she didn't say a word.

In the following weeks, Kaiba became extremely careful with Serena. He walked her to every class and even waited outside the girl's locker room. Serena had brushed it off at first thinking he would lower his guard after a few weeks, but even after two months Seto continued this routine.

Even when she kissed him, he would quickly break away and hold her hand instead. It was as if he were scared that the slightest touch would send her over the edge. In truth, Serena was beginning to heal and wanted to put the entire incident behind her and was beginning to tire of Kaiba's overbearing protection. He escorted her everywhere at school and when he had to work, he always sent a small team of security guards to patrol. She hadn't noticed at first but when Serena began to see the same few men constantly, she asked him. She tried to persuade him to stop the madness, but he refused and instead tried to convince her of the safety benefits of his system.

For weeks, this continued and Serena couldn't stand it. He treated her differently after the incident as if she were glass that could be easily broken. At first, she had attributed his behavior to what had happened. But she was tired of him treading on eggshells and wanted to feel alive. Instead, she was constantly reminded of her past.

As they drove near the Domino suburbs, she suddenly shouted. 'Can you drop me off at Tea's house?'

Seto looked up from his laptop surprised by her voice. Besides the occasional nod or word, this was the longest sentence she had spoken in a month.

He quickly told Roland to change directions. She rushed out of the car while telling him she'd be spending the night there.

She sighed in relief when he didn't question her and allowed her to go through with her plan. The truth was Serena felt suffocated and over the past few months, she and Tea had grown closer. Tea was like the sister she never had. Whenever Kaiba was needed at work, Serena found a semblance of normality with her new friends.

She knocked on the door and Tea's mother answered. 'Serena' she greeted warmly 'would you like anything to eat or drink my dear? You're too thin!'

Serena smiled at the motherly figure before declining. She gave the young girl a look of faux annoyance before motioning her to go upstairs.

Tea had just finished dance rehearsal and had just taken a shower when Serena knocked timidly at the door.

'Serena' she said momentarily shocked before bringing her into a hug. 'What's wrong?' She asked taking in her appearance. Tea had gotten used to Serena's glum demeanor at school attributing it to stress from school work as she had always seemed happy and alive when they hung out after school.

'Can I tell you something?' She asked. Tea nodded though she was shaken by Serena's tone. 'And you have to promise not to tell anyone! Not Yugi or even your mom. You can't tell anybody okay!'

Tea nodded and agreed to her terms. She told Tea everything from the cutting to the assault watching as her eyes ranged from sad sympathy to anger.

'I mean it's helping you know? The doctors visits force me to see what happened and that it wasn't my fault but everyone who knows about this thinks I'm three seconds from falling apart.'

'My dad listens and stays home more than usual in case I want to talk and Seto, who's been so supportive, is too careful around me as if I'm porcelain and I can't handle it anymore!'

'He's my first boyfriend and that kind of love is supposed to be magical and passionate but instead all he sees is a damaged thing to be pitied! Tea, I love him but how can I pretend like everything is okay if he hides everything from me?'

'Serena, you know he's only doing this to protect you. With everything that's happened to you, can you blame him? I understand how you feel but I think you need to tell Kaiba how you feel. He won't know what's wrong until you explain.' Tea told her

Serena nodded. 'Can I stay here tonight? I just need to know what to say before I see him again...'

Tea nodded and the two began to get ready for bed.

The next morning, Serena found Roland waiting to drive her and Tea to school. She declined and asked Roland to tell Seto she needed to speak with him later.

The group walked together while Serena trailed behind them. When the first bell began to chime, all the students began to run towards the building.

Serena stayed in the empty hallways trying to elongate her time when she recognized tall figure leaning on her locker.

She wanted to run in the opposite direction but stopped when he called to her. Serena returned.

'I have to get to class' she explained trying to move past him. Seto blocked her way.

'Serena, what's going on? For months you've iced me out and now you're avoiding me? I don't understand what I've done to make you hate me?' He asked

'I don't hate you Seto. I-I love you. Meeting you was honestly the best thing that happened to me but...' She mumbled.

'But what Serena?' He questioned lightly while analyzing her words. Half of her statement made him feel things that were completely new while the other half scared him.

Serena bit her lip nervously not wanting to ripple their already high profile and complicated relationship.

'Serena, please just tell me what you have to say.' He said placing his hand lightly on her shoulder.

'That's what I'm upset about Seto' she burst out motioning to his arm ' you act as if I'm this fragile thing that's going to break any second! And I'm sick of the sympathy! I want a love that is all consuming, passionate and everything a first love is supposed to be! Your carefulness, your calculated gestures and your refusal to even touch me constantly reminds me of what happened and I-I just- it hurts me!'

Kaiba was unsure of how to handle the situation. He didn't know that she felt that way. In truth, all he wanted to do was to see her shy blushes and feel the warmth of her skin. But, he was scared. He had been alone for so long that he didn't want to push her away with his cool exterior or go too far.

For the first time, Seto didn't think and simply let his actions speak. Her back was pressed against the locker wall as he held her small face. He pressed his lips against hers and began to show her how he felt about her.

Serena was breathless when Seto finally broke their kiss. Both were flushed and slightly embarrassed. 'Did you enjoy that?' He asked with his signature smirk.

She answered him with a kiss of her own. Her hands roamed through his brunette hair as his hands graced her petite waist. Seto broke away. This had been the closest they'd been in months and he didn't want to let that go. 'Do you want to get out of here?' he asked.

'Ditch school?' she questioned with a small smile 'never thought I'd hear those words from Seto Kaiba. I accept'

He smirked, grabbed her hand and sprinted down the hallway to his car.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hi Everyone! Hope you guys are liking the story! If you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to leave me a message or review! Thanks for reading and make sure to let me know what you think.**

The two spent the day soaking up each other's company and were inseparable as they walked through the city. It had been weeks since they had let their guard down around each other and both were ready to show the other their true selves.

In the limo, Serena leaned against Seto as she casually glanced at her phone when she realized something. "Seto! it's almost mid-April?" He nodded. "But, the Destiny's Champion League was supposed to start on the second! Why are you, Yugi, Joey and my father still in Domino? You're all supposed to be dueling."

"Serena, you're Pegasus' only daughter. Do you really think he would leave you in the city by yourself without your friends or me? He postponed the tournament until you were ready to go as well." he answered.

"But he said I didn't have to duel…" she questioned.

" He did. But, as the daughter of the Industrial Illusions president, it makes sense that you're present at his tournament and… I'd like you there as well." he said almost shyly.

Serena looked up at him with a small smile. "I should probably go home."

Though Kaiba was reluctant to let her go, he had to agree that it would be best as the competition couldn't be delayed forever.

Most likely, her father would be at the Industrial Illusions headquarters so Serena decided to be dropped off there. As she was about to leave, she kissed Seto's cheek before running out. "See you at the tournament! "

When she entered the large building, she was immediately greeted by her father's secretary. "I need to see Daddy" she explained.

"Of course, your father is finishing up a meeting with one of the late entry duelists, but he'll be out shortly." Serena smiled her thanks and waited in the lobby.

After a few minutes, the elevator dinged alerting Serena that the guest was leaving. When she looked up, her eyes stared directly into those of von Schroeder. He gave her a sick smile before pushing out of the elevator towards the exit.

Her mouth went dry and tears threatened to shed until she furiously wiped them away. For a moment, she was at a loss for words as a flurry of emotions overtook her. Soon, she regained her composure. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. If anything, she was out for revenge. She was sick of everyone's protection. She wasn't going to be the girl that hid behind her father or Seto. This was her battle and she was going to be victorious. Her eyes gleamed with a new determination that would have scared anyone in her path. When the elevator finally reached the top floor, Serena's face was one of ferocity and determination.

She stormed into her father's office. Pegasus looked up, startled by his daughter's change in demeanor. He was surprised to find that her sweet shyness had disappeared but was intrigued by her new proposal.

"Daddy, I'm going to duel. But, I'm not going to go against Yugi, Joey or Seto even if I make it to the finals. There's only one person that I want to duel and when I'm finished with him, he'll be the one crying from humiliation and defeat." she said icily.

Pegasus was confused by her words but agreed to her terms. It was the first time he had ever seen Serena become so ruthless. She had always been his angelic little girl. Serena had never gotten into trouble at school until recently (mostly due to his absence), was a superior duelist and could create technology that was truly state of the art.

A part of this cared him, but another part swelled in pride. His only child would be dueling in an Industrial Illusions tournament playing the game he had designed. When she was younger, Pegasus hadn't followed her career due to his depression from losing Cecelia. So, this would be the first time, he would actually see her true skills.

That night, it was announced that the Destiny's Champion League would commence in exactly one week in a remote location. All duelists were given tickets to multiple planes that would fly them to their destination.

After her announcement, Serena and her father quickly left for their home. If she was going to win this duel, she would need her father's help in rebuilding her deck.

Seto was beginning to worry about Serena. It had been two days since he had seen her and besides the occasional text, he hadn't spoken to the girl. He wasn't sure what was going on since she hadn't been at school either.

As the car turned up the driveway, Kaiba decided he would visit Serena after work. While the two days had allowed him to get ahead on his work at Kaibacorp, Seto missed the warm embrace and sweet gestures of his Serena.

As Kaiba put the finishing touches to his new holographic technology program, the elevator door chimed alerting him that someone was about to enter his private office. He looked up to see that Serena was exiting through the doors.

"Hi" he said confused by her sudden appearance. Her gave a short kiss on the cheek but something was different about Serena. Her careful shyness seemed to have melted away and she didn't blush as she usually did when he touched her.

There was a hardness in her eyes that was foreign to Seto. Gone were the tears from the past and instead a look of ferocity overtook her normally kind face. "Serena?" he questioned.

Serena snapped back to her current state and gave Kaiba a warm smile before proceeding with her request. "I need your help." she said with a gleam in her eye. He agreed immediately. Serena was never one to ask him for anything and he was willing to help her in any way possible.

"I'm going to duel in my father's tournament, but I need help. I haven't dueled in years and I need some practice. Can I use your testing lab?" she pleaded.

"Of course. But, Serena, I thought you didn't want to duel. What changed your mind?"

"I have my reasons" she answered as a deep sadness overtook her face. She didn't want her father or Seto to know that her attacker had entered in the tournament. She didn't want anyone involved. She was going to punish him on her own terms.

Kaiba looked as though he had more questions, but didn't press her on the subject. Instead he asked her a different question. "Serena, why do you want to use my computer system? Your father has a collection of every duel monsters card ever made. His practice stadium would be better equipped than mine" he questioned.

"Seto, you hold the power of the three blue eyes white dragons. My father never used those cards after initial production. So, while I can practice against the power of one since it's stored in the Industrial Illusions database, I can only face the ultimate dragon at your headquarters."

"I don't understand Serena. Do you want to duel me in this tournament?" he asked wondering why his girlfriend had changed her mind so suddenly.

Her face softened "Seto, I could never duel against you." she whispered "But you're one of the best duelists in the world and if I can beat one of the most powerful monsters in the game, I know I can beat him."

" Him? Serena who are you talking about?" he questioned gently turning her face towards him. Serena tried to break from his touch unwilling to let him see the true reason she had decided to duel.

He looked into her eyes. The same look of fear that he had witnessed had come back. The tears were absent from her face, but Seto knew what had changed her mind. "You saw him" he stated "you know that he's going to duel in the competition and you want to beat him." It was more of a fact than a question.

She looked at him with fiery eyes. " I'm going to destroy him and once that duel is over, he's going to wish he had never seen me."


End file.
